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N O K 0 D E L- Patented January 26, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT F. POENITZ, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

PORTABLE FASTENER FOR DOORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 750,692, dated January26, 1904.

Application filed November 9, 1903- Serial No. 180,292. (No model.)

To all whom it puny concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT F. PoENITz, a citizen of the United States,residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana,have invented new and useful Improvements in Portable Fasteners forDoors; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to fasteners of the portable type, which may becarried about by persons for temporary use or in emergency, for securingdoors and transoms in the absence of other and more efficient lockingdevices; and the invention has reference particularly to specificimprovements in fasteners of the above-mentioned character. v

The object of the invention is to provide portable door-fasteners whichmay be compact and adapted to be conveniently carried in the pockets oftravelers always at hand readyfor use, as well as to be suitable forconstant use where ordinary locks may not be considered safe againstburglars.

Other objects are to provide inexpensive fasteners of improved formwhich will be durable and economical in use.

The invention consists in the improvements in the features ofconstruction. as hereinafter particularly described, and pointed out inthe claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar reference charactersindicate like parts, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the fastener,showing particularly the front thereof. Fig. 2 is a perspective viewshowing particularly the rear of the fastener. Fig. 3 isa fragmentarydetail view showing the construction of the claw which enters thedoor-casing when in use, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontalsectional view of a door and casing and also the fastener in operativeposition with respect to the door and easing.

In construction the frame of the fastener comprises a face-plate A and abase-plate B, formed of a single piece of steel, preferably elastic,bent over at its middle portion about a pivot-pin (l, the two plateswhen formed being equal in length, the piece of steel before being bentover having a central slot cut therein, so as to provide an aperture (0in the finished plate A and an aperture 6 in the finished plate B toreceive the latch D, which apertures together extend about the pin C, towhich the latch is pivoted. In bending the steel. piece to form thehinge connection for the latch the part forming the plate B is given areverse bendat the pin C, so that the pin is situated at the rear of theplate A in order to avoid projections at the front side of the frame endthat has the pivot. The latch D may Work freely in the apertures a 6within predetermined limits, governed by means of a recess d in thehingejoint and a lug F, attached to the boss of the latch and operatingin the recess and stopped against one side thereof, the latch D beingnormally pressed forwardly through the aperture (0 by means of a springE, secured to the plate-B and engaging the back of the latch, the springextending through the apertures b. The springE is secured to the bodyportion of the plate B and is relatively long, so as to be somewhat weakand quite easily deflected when releasing the latch from a door. Thelatch D has its hinge-boss set over to the rear to conform to the hingeparts of the frame therefor, so that the door may not be obstructed bythe hinge.

The claw G for securing the fastener, and thereby the door, iscylindrical and has a shank a mounted rotatively in the plate A, thebody of the claw having screw-threads f and extending through asuitably-threaded hole in the plate B and provided with a pointg,adapted to penetrate the wood of a door frame or casing. The claw Gshould rotate freely in the plates, so that it may be operated by thefingers of the person using the fastener in order to make properadjustments to suit the openings that may be found between closed doorsand their frames. Although the point g is shown as being circular, it isobvious that it may be either squared or flattened, according to fancy.

In practical use the fastener may be employed in the usual manner byplacing the back of the plate B against the face of the casing H, thepoint 5 being set back near the stop J against which the door I closes.The claw G is to be rotated in order to adjust the two plates A and B,so that they will be sulficiently close together to permit the door I toclose, when the door may slide against the plate A to its stop J,forcing the point g into the casing H. When the door in closingmay havepassed the end of the latch D, the latter will automatically be forcedout of its frame forward of the door, thereby preventing the opening ofthe door until the latch may have been retracted by a person at theinner side of the door. Should the plates A and B be too close togetherto fill the opening and to be held tightly therein by the door, theplates should be further spread apart by means of the clawscrew. Wherethe opening is considerable, as is usually the case, the point 9 willnot be forced so far into the casing as in narrow openings, but willhave ample strength, because the plate B will prevent the claw frombending at its point of connection with the plate A, and thus the clawand connections may be light and yet strong. After having properlyopened the door the fastener maybe easily removed, since the claw G willnot be inclined to stick in the wood when not forced by the door.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is 1. Adoor-fastener comprising a base-plate having a threaded cylindrical clawmounted therein, a face-plate having the claw rotatively securedtherein, anda latch supported by the plates.

2. A door-fastener comprising a pair of connected plates havingapertures therein and hinge parts at the point of connection thereof,one of the hinge parts having a recess therein, a pivot-pin in the hingeparts, a latch mounted on the pivot-pin and having a lug extend ing intothe recess in the hinge part,a spring for the latch, and aclaw connectedto both of the plates.

3. In a portable door-fastener, the combination of the base-plate andthe face-plate having the apertures therein, the latch adapted to becontained in the apertures, the pivot-pin connecting the latch to theplates, one of said plates having a recess therein near said pivotpin,and the latch having a lug extending into said recess, the spring forsaid latch, and the cylindrical pointed claw swiveled into one of saidplates and screwed into the other one of said plates, substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT F. POENITZ.

Witnesses:

WVM. H. PAYNE, A. 0. HAND.

